The phone will be available on Dec. 13 to markets in Western Europe and North America. It will then make its way to India, China and certain countries in Northern Europe afterwards. The variant will cost $699 and £649 (or AU$973 converted from USD).

For the most part, the McLaren OnePlus 6T looks similar to the original 6T, but there are some subtle changes. When it catches the light at a certain angle, for example, an orange rim accents the bottom lining of the phone. On the glossy black back is a striped pattern reminiscent of the carbon-fiber material often featured on racing cars. It's the same pattern seen on the black phone case that comes bundled with the device. Lastly, the phone's charging brick and braided cable (a change from the usual silicone-coated red cord) also have accents of deep orange.

As mentioned earlier, the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition comes with 10GB of RAM, which is a bump compared to the 6GB and 8GB options that's included with the original 6T.

The McLaren variant also features what OnePlus brands as "Warp Charge 30." It's an updated charging technique that features 30 watts of power, and the company promises that the new phone can last a whole day with just a 20-minute charge.

This isn't too unbelievable of a claim; we've already observed first-hand how efficient OnePlus' proprietary fast-charging technology is on the 6T and earlier phones. Known as Dash Charge, it promised a day's worth of power with a 30-minute charge. But check back soon with CNET after we test if Warp Charge is indeed any faster, and if the bump in RAM significantly affects the McLaren Edition's benchmarks and processing performance.

With this McLaren partnership, the new 6T does feel more luxurious than the original, and the thoughtful packaging drives this message home even further. The unique orange trim is indeed eye-catching and amusing to see at different angles. I can't imagine anyone besides McLaren fans or racing enthusiasts springing for the chance to purchase this model, but the 10GB of RAM would objectively appeal to any phone buyer regardless. Plus, at $699, this premium 6T edition still manages to come in below the starting price of the regular iPhone XS, Pixel 3 and Galaxy S9.

Besides the cosmetic tweaks and the memory and charging upgrades, however, the phone is the same as the original. The OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition still includes an in-screen fingerprint scanner, dual rear cameras, a 6.41-inch display and a Snapdragon 845 processor. For more info about the phone, read CNET's OnePlus 6T review.